


i promise (i'll do better)

by bloodshotmalvie



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Rewrite, F/F, and a scene of malvie really talking it thru bc i felt like it's missing from d3, but they just love each other so damn much, evie is hurt and angry, mal is a complete mess what's new, mentions of gil the poor thing wasn't apart of any of this, plus the scene in audrey's room, teens and ups for swearing, this is me doing a re-write of the you lied to me scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 07:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20617256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodshotmalvie/pseuds/bloodshotmalvie
Summary: • We all make mistakes. Don’t ever let that be the reason to give up on somebody or to forget all the good they’ve done •





	i promise (i'll do better)

Mal could hear her own voice ringing in her ears, after shouting the same thing repeatedly, with no luck. The weight of her mistake growing too heavy on her shoulders as the night grew colder and colder. She looked desperately at Hades’ ember, now painted in a dull dark blue. Celia had thrown it in the water in a fit of anger. And she was _rightfully_ angry. They all were. After all, that is the price you pay for breaking one’s trust. Mal knew she fucked up. Spectacularly. Yet, she still looked at Uma, for help.

“**Regain your might and ignite!**” Mal tried, one last time to bring the ember back to life. Nothing. They wouldn’t stand a chance against Audrey without it.

However, that didn’t seem to matter anymore. Uma looked bored and detached as she robotically pulled out her shell. The shell that just moments before had reacted to Mal’s magic, was now cold and unresponsive, just like its owner.

“…Bummer,” Uma shrugged. She then nudged at Harry, who was standing right behind her, his shoulders sagging. “Let’s go find Gil and leave them all to rot.”

Mal could hear it, Uma’s heartbreak. She could see it as Uma walked past her without another word. And Harry. Harry looked so sad as he followed behind Uma, his eyes on the ground, unwilling to let Mal know how hurt he really was.

“No—“ Mal breathed out, her voice failing her.

Everything was falling apart. _And it was all her fault_. She wanted to fix things but how could she do such a thing when her partners, her friends had already given up on her?

“Uma!” Mal cried, in one last attempt to try to get her attention. But Uma didn’t turn back, leaving Mal just standing there. Looking at two of the many people she disappointed.

Mal felt so fucking stupid. What the hell was she thinking, coming up with such a terrible idea? Closing the barrier forever. How fucking ridiculous. But, above all, Mal felt like a coward. _This wasn’t her. So, why did she went with it anyway? _

She had to turn back. Mal didn’t want to. She was terrified. Because disappointing Celia, Uma and Harry was bad enough on its own, but Mal knew the gut wrenching guilt that was tormenting the pit of her stomach was only going to get bigger. Because now, she had to face the one person she knew she disappointed the most. Mal had never been this scared in her entire life and she had plenty of scary stories to tell.

Alas, with a deep breath Mal turned around to face her beautiful blue haired girlfriend. Evie approached her with slow steps and the look on her face was something Mal had never seen on her. At least, not directed at her. _Anger_. Pure anger. Evie’s eyes were glaring at Mal so harshly it made her shiver. Mal started to panic. She had to do something. Say something. Explain. Fix it.

“Evie…” Mal started, her eyes pleading for understanding. “_I’m so sorry_,” Evie kept walking towards her, looking like a vicious wild cat and Mal started to stutter, feeling so incredibly small. “I’m sorry, I- I just- I thought that—“ Mal couldn’t seem to get the words right as Evie finally stopped on her tracks. Not too far away but also not too close to Mal. She hated it. Evie was definitely keeping her distance. “I was afraid to tell you, I thought I was gonna lose my girlfriend,” That wasn’t a lie. Mal sat on the guilt of lying to Evie from the moment she found herself chickening out the other day at Evie’s place. “But I- I had to do something, I had- I had to protect Auradon,”

Evie’s expression didn’t soften. Not one bit. If not, it hardened even more. Mal realized soon enough why.

“… Closing the barrier was _your idea_?”

Evie’s voice sent shivers down Mal’s spine, and not the good kind. It was like a dagger to the heart. It was angry, yes. But the hurt that came along and coated her beautiful voice was what made Mal feel sick to her stomach. She had to make things right.

“I did it for us,” Mal so desperately tried to explain, gesturing in between them with a shaky hand. “I did it for…our life, that we have here now,” She added, trying to get Evie to understand her side, even though her side sucked.

“For _our_ life?” Evie looked like she couldn’t believe her eyes and ears. _Like she didn’t recognize the girl in front of her. _Mal’s blood ran cold. “What about the kids that we left behind on that island?” Evie kept going and her voice failed her, her eyes coated with tears. Mal had to look away for a moment because she couldn’t take it. “The kids that _we promised_! We were their only hope,” Evie sounded so incredibly heartbroken, her voice cracking and failing her left and right.

Mal felt her eyes burn dangerously as she looked right at Evie, the shame and the guilt burning her insides. She swallowed a sob. She was right. Mal had been a selfish coward. Uma’s words echoed in her head.

_‘Always out for yourself’_

“I thought you were gonna stand up for the VKs,” Evie spoke again and Mal felt her legs starting to shake, threatening to fail her. “But instead you _lied_ to them,”

Evie accusatory tone was something Mal was definitely not used to but she knew she deserved it. So, she stood there, allowing Evie to tell her off until Mal’s heart was ripped apart.

“_And you lied to Jay_,” Evie continued in the same accusatory tone, pointing to Jay, who stood behind them, his jaw clenched. “_And you lied to Carlos_,” Carlos looked away the moment his name was mentioned, his freckled face coated with sadness. Mal only then seemed to realize the boys were there, just as disappointed and hurt by her actions. Mal’s eyes welled up in tears, as Evie looked her right in the eye.

“_You lied to **me**_,”

Mal choked on a sob as her tears fell down her cheeks upon hearing that. She _wished_ Evie was angry and screaming in her face because it would’ve hurt less. The absolute heartbreak in Evie’s voice. Her eyes, filled with tears, her lip quivering as her shaky voice failed her entirely as she pointed to herself, right above her heart as she uttered those words. Evie looked miserable. Her body was tense and shaking, her lip was quivering so much that Mal feared Evie would break down right there.

“_We’re your family!_” Evie shakily cried out, shaking her head over and over, as if it was a desperate attempt to remind Mal that they’re in this together.

And that was just the last drop for Evie, because she dropped her arms in a resigned movement.

Mal raised hers, realizing what was about to happen.

“Evie…” Mal called for her, sounding just as heartbroken, choking on more tears but Evie held a hand to her and did what she feared the most. She turned her back on Mal, walking back to stand next to Jay, Carlos and Ben, clearly too hurt to look Mal in the eye.

“_Evie, c’mon!_” Mal pleaded, more desperate than ever.

But Evie wasn’t listening anymore.

“_I had no choice!_” Mal yelled even though she didn’t believe in her words, not even for a second. She just wanted Evie to do something. To scream at her, to rip her heart out. Anything was better than Evie ignoring her.

As she screamed in an attempt to get Evie’s attention, Mal was blinded by a bright light and was startled by the sound of thunder and it was all so loud and so intense she had to cover her face with her hands. It was over as soon as it started and when Mal could see again, her chest tightened at the sight of her friends, of Evie, standing there. _Turned to stone_. Audrey finally caught up to them and took everything that mattered most to Mal. Her family. The love of her life.

_Mal couldn’t breathe. _

“No…” She sobbed, letting her tears fall freely.

Mal had never felt so alone. This was her fault. All of it. Without the ember, she couldn’t break the spell and she was on her own because of her stupid decision and her poor judgment. She had disappointed everyone. She was too weak to break a spell and let her emotions cloud her judgment, leading to the loss of the life she so desperately wanted to protect.

_‘Here you are alone, and you deserve it’_

_‘Your friends have turned to stone and that’s on you’_

She slowly walked over to Ben first. Ben, who after all, was her friend and who never deserved this fate. She blinked as more tears fell down. Ben who had asked her to help out this one time since she was no more bounded to royal duties or royal anything. And she had failed. She shook her head. It should have never been her up there making that type of decision.

Then she moved past Ben and stopped in front of Jay. Her big brother, who had never failed her. Her eyes welled up in tears again, remembering how Jay was willing to drive her back to the Isle himself if she couldn’t stand another day. They wouldn’t be together as a family anymore but he was willing to manage, just as long as Mal was happy. And Mal failed Jay.

Then she slowly kneeled down in front of Carlos, who was in the middle of petting Dude when the spell hit. Carlos, her little brother. Who she promised to never forget or let go, because the younger boy was having a rough time with his family graduating and not being around as much anymore. Carlos, who so protectively stood by her side during Cotillion, more than ready to go against the king of Auradon if he had to. And Mal failed Carlos as well.

Mal knew this was all on her. There was no way around it, there was no one else to blame and she had to own up to it if she wanted to fix it.

_‘This is not your father’s fairytale and no, it’s not your mother’s fault you fell’_

Then, Mal walked over to Evie and stopped to look at her. Her beautiful girlfriend. Turned to stone because of her. Evie, who was willing to go back to living on the Isle, because all that mattered to her, was to be with Mal. Evie, who was more than willing to love Mal from afar for the rest of her life, because all that mattered to her was for Mal to be happy, even if that meant being with someone else. Evie, who from all the humans in the world, chose Mal. The silence of the chilly night was deafening as Mal gently and carefully laid a hand on Evie’s cheek, her vision blurry from the tears in her eyes that refused to stop falling. Mal stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Evie, laying her head on her chest, sobbing upon not hearing Evie’s steady heartbeat and upon not feeling the usual warmth of her embrace.

The idea of never hearing Evie’s voice again and of never feeling her warmth again was absolutely unbearable. Thinking about how Evie’s last thoughts before being turned to stone, were of sadness and disappointment and that Mal had no way of telling her how sorry she was, was eating her alive.

“I’m going to fix this…I promise,” Mal whispered, looking back up at Evie’s face.

And with that, Mal ventured into the woods. Ember or no ember, she was going to stop Audrey and break her spell. **No matter what.**

//

_‘You’re only half Hades. The ember won’t do everything for you that it does for me’_

Hades’ words echoed in Mal’s mind as she sat down next to Audrey’s bed. Everything that happened was a big blur, compared to what was really assaulting Mal’s thoughts.

How she found Audrey, holding Celia and threatening to hurt her. How Mal didn’t hesitate in turning into her dragon form to fight her off, even though she had no help from anyone. How she tried to ignite the ember by heating it up with her dragon fire. How she was losing yet another battle in her dragon form. How Uma and Harry stepped in and stood by her side when it mattered most, even though she had just betrayed them, allowing her to win the battle. How she stared at a sleeping Audrey, victim of the curse she enacted, trying to wake her up and being unsuccessful. How Audrey was now laying on her own bed, still asleep, after Mal carried her there because she didn’t know where else to take her. How Uma and Harry arrived shortly after followed by her friends. By Evie. The curse had been broken and Mal wanted to crash into Evie’s arms and cry for an hour but she thought better of it seeing how Evie decided to pull up a chair on the opposite side of the bed.

“She’s slipping away…” 

Mal heard Evie’s worried voice and ducked her head in shame. She won the battle but still managed to fuck things up. She couldn’t break the curse on her own. She wasn’t enough for the ember.

She slowly turned to her friends. She made an effort to keep eye contact.

“There’s only one person in the world who might be able to do something about this, and that’s Hades,” She said, resigned. She had to ask him for help. It was the only way to fix the mess she created. She felt Evie’s eyes on her and had to refrain from tearing up over how concerned she looked.

“Hades?” Ben inquired, looking distraught. “He wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t risk it,”

Mal turned to him and shook her head.

“Actually, he might do it for me,” Mal felt Evie’s eyes on her again. Worried. She was worried. Evie was the only person Mal ever told about Hades and Evie was aware of how touchy the subject was. She was worried, knowing Mal was about to reveal this information to everyone. Mal felt the enormous weight on her chest lift a little. “_He’s my father,_”

Silence reigned on the room for a moment as the people inside it processed this new piece of information. Ben looked terrified. Carlos and Jay shared an incredulous look. Celia wasn’t surprised because she had found out before during their quest to get the ember and Mal had made it very clear she wished to keep it a secret. Uma raised her eyebrow ever so slightly but it seemed like it didn’t come as a shock to her. The ember made sense. Harry seemed to be lost in thought.

“Well, I’d- I’d have to send guards…to get him,” Ben broke the silence, probably a dozen safety measures running through his head as he shakily crossed his arms.

“Maybe I can hitch a ride,”

Uma spoke next. Everyone’s eyes were on her as she shrugged.

“The Isle is my home. Someone needs to be there to protect it,” She explained.

“Well, then. Ye’ll need yer first mate,” Harry swooped in, stepping behind Uma and placing his hand on her shoulders and she just gave him the tiniest smile and rolled her eyes at him.

“The Isle will be in very good hands,” Mal quietly said. And she meant it.

Uma and Harry both gave her tiny but honest smiles.

“Can I go too?” Celia got up from her seat, surprising everyone. Mal gave her a worried look and Celia shrugged.

“I wish I could be in both places,”

_‘…But I love my dad and the Isle is where he is’. _Celia didn’t say it but Mal knew it was implied so she didn’t even try to protest. She didn’t have the right to, anyway. It was time to start fixing things, so Mal got up and looked at Uma.

“I really think that Evie was right,” She started, leading with an honest and genuine voice. She was done with the lying and with the keeping things inside. Evie was right. Well, Evie was right a lot. And with this Mal felt Evie’s eyes on her for a third time. “And…I do think we could’ve been friends,”

Mal gave her a little smile. Little but genuine. And was happy to see that Uma smiled back, even though she rolled her eyes at her, like she was trying to avoid Mal’s vulnerability to rub off on her.

Mal took a deep breath.

“And I’m sorry I lied, to all of you guys. You deserve so much better than that,”

Jay shook his head and replied immediately, like he had been eager to say it.

“You were just trying to do the right thing,”

Jay and Carlos gave her understanding looks.

“Yeah,”

Mal turned her head to Uma who was also giving her an understanding look. Uma, of all people, was letting her know she understood. Maybe Mal and Uma weren’t so different after all. Uma would’ve done everything to protect what’s important to her and maybe that’s why she can understand why Mal did what she did. Mal felt a little lighter. And she was grateful for Jay, Carlos and Uma for giving her a second chance (or is it a third or a fourth? Mal wouldn’t know. She was aware of how frequently she fucked up so she was just grateful they were all patient with her) but it wasn’t really from them she wanted to hear.

Mal was afraid to look. It took her a second to finally force herself to look at Evie, who was standing up from her chair. Mal couldn’t quite read her and that was scary.

A beat.

“I get it,” Evie spoke up, shrugging.

And that was it. Mal saw Evie’s expression soften, just the tiniest bit and that alone brought a little smile to her face but she knew Evie better than anyone else did and her smile soon faded.

‘_I get it’_ and ‘_I forgive you’_ were two different things.

Her eyes were still itchy from all the crying from before and they were burning again. Evie did not forgive her. She understood, but she didn’t forgive her. Just like that, it was as if her heart had been carved out of her chest. She was so scared of losing Evie that she ended up losing her anyway. Suddenly the room felt too hot and she felt a not on her stomach. She felt everyone’s eyes on her and Evie and the tension in the room was weighting down on her. She had to get out of there.

So, get out she did. Ignoring Carlos and Jay’s questioning of where she was going, she left the room in a hurry and only stopped running when she was outside, in the dead of night, because she didn’t live at Auradon Prep anymore and she couldn’t go to her and Evie’s former dorm and hide in there.

She didn’t know where to go. She felt alone and frustrated with herself. The contrast between the cold air of the night and the hot tears rolling down her face, that she furiously wiped by passing her hands on her cheeks, was a cruel reminder that her tears were the only warmth she’d be getting, as she stood at the entrance of Auradon Prep. She walked over to one of the empty tables on the grass and sat down, her elbows resting on the cold table as she pressed the palm of her hands against her eyelids.

She just wanted Evie back. The idea of Evie being turned to stone for all eternity was like a bad taste in her mouth, even though the spell had been broken already. She got Evie back but she didn’t really have her back, did she?

She let out a choked sob. Then another. And then another. Losing Evie was like her whole world had stopped spinning and the feeling of living in a world where Evie wasn’t her girlfriend was just agonizing.

“…Mal?”

Mal perked up at the sound of Evie’s voice, coming from behind her. She turned around on the bench. It really was Evie, standing there with a worried expression on her face. One that was familiar to Mal.

Mal didn’t think. She sobbed louder than she intended as she got up and threw her arms around Evie, crying harder than ever. Because seeing Evie there, safe and sound, was what mattered most to her and she just needed to feel her, even if only for a moment. She was more than ready for Evie to push her away, like she so deserved. Evie wasn’t about to do that, though. Evie was hurt, yes, but she couldn’t stand seeing Mal like that, neither she would ever abandon her. Evie wrapped her arms around her and Mal felt the warmth she loved so damn much. She cried until she couldn’t anymore.

Mal didn’t know for how long they stayed there. She wanted to stay there forever but she knew she couldn’t. She had to make things right, or at least she had to try. She slowly stepped away from Evie’s embrace and sat back down at the table. Evie sat down next to her.

“I’m sorry for everything,” Mal mumbled, shaking her head. Evie looked at her and remained quiet for the time being. “I don’t know what I was thinking,” her voice threatened to fail again. “It should have never been me up there; it should’ve been you,”

“…Me?” Evie quietly asked.

“Evie, c’mon now,” Mal gave her a stern look. “You’re supposed to be Ben’s counselor, regarding every Isle matter. And I hate that they didn’t call you for this. I hate that they thought Maleficent’s daughter would know better and I- I was so startled by recent events that I fucked it all up instead of bringing you in like you deserved and like it was meant to be. If you were up there, none of this would’ve happened,” Mal shook her head miserably. “And then I went ahead and made it worse,” Mal broke eye contact, the table blurry from all the tears that welled up again in her eyes. “I’m such a fuck up, Evie,”

“You’re not a fuck up, Mal,” Evie protested, shaking her head.

Mal looked back up at her with her eyes filled with tears.

“I am, look at what I’ve done,” Mal cried. “I’m not like you. You would’ve made a good decision, for everyone, because god knows you never think of yourself first, even when you should. I was selfish and a coward. I was so scared of another parent taking away the good I have in my life that I took the coward’s way out and I didn’t think of anyone else but you and me. And there’s no excuse for the lie but I lied because I knew I was wrong. That’s not me,” Mal shook her head and tried really hard to wipe her tears. “But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I was terrified of losing you and I still did,” She ducked her head. “I’m sorry I tackled you like that but I- I- t-thought—“ A sob came out. “You were turned to stone and I thought I’d lost you forever and it would’ve been my fault—“

Evie watched as Mal covered her face again unable to stop crying and she gently placed her hands on top of Mal’s.

“Hey, look at me,”

Her tone was gentle and caring. But Mal shook her head. She didn’t deserve it.

“Please, look at me, M,” Evie insisted with the same tone. “C’mon, don’t I get to say something?”

Mal took a deep breath and allowed Evie to move her hands out of her face. Evie took Mal’s hair out of the way, lifted her chin and started wiping her tears with her thumbs.

“You did hurt me,” Evie started and Mal frowned. “You made a mistake that hurt the people around you. But I meant what I said. _I get it_. I get that you got scared and acted on that fear. M, I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done in your place, knowing that the man who tried to hurt me and my family was my father. You were unfairly placed in an impossible situation and you did try to do the right thing,”

“Not for those kids…” Mal mumbled sadly.

“Not for those kids,” Evie agreed. “And I was angry at that for a while. Because I know my girlfriend and I know you’d never let other people suffer, especially because you know what’s like to be in that exact position” Evie placed a hand on Mal’s cheek and she leaned into her touch. “We all make mistakes. You made this one. And you’ll make more. As will I. We’re not perfect. So, what we have to do is to own up to those mistakes and we have to live with them. Learn and grow from them,” Mal was clinging on to Evie’s every word. “And you went ahead and fought off Audrey. You were ready to do it alone and without the ember,” Evie’s tone became protective. She came off the spell worried sick about Mal.

“But, what really hurt me was you lying to me about it. To us. To Jay and Carlos. We’re your family. I’m your girlfriend. If one of us messes up, we deal with it together, because we are a team. We can’t afford to lie to each other like this, Mal,”

Mal sniffled softly as she looked at Evie so sadly.

“I know… I’m really sorry…” She whispered, defeated. “I’m so sorry I messed this up,” Mal added, meaning their relationship. “I don’t know how to fix it,”

“M, I’m not going to give up on us because of this,”

Mal blinked and there was hope shinning in her eyes. “You’re… not?”

Evie shook her head and gave Mal a smile.

“Don’t be silly. Yeah, you fucked up today. Tomorrow it could be me. Would you leave me if this had happened the other way around?”

“What!? E, what kind of bullshit question is t—“

“See? We would’ve worked through it, like we’re doing now,” Evie chuckled softly, interrupting Mal’s grumbling and her genuinely offended tone. “You know how you fix it?”

Mal looked quietly at Evie.

“You don’t do it again. Next time you’re faced with something like this, you remember this day and you ask for help. Because, _my beautiful girlfriend_, it’s okay to ask for help when you feel lost or in the middle of a hard choice. And whatever it might be, we’ll figure it out. Together. And if we screw it up, at least we’re together and we’ll fix it together. You always walk around with the weight of the world on your shoulders and it’s okay to let us lift it off you. You’re never alone,”

And Mal listened. She listened to every word. Little did Evie know the weight that was on her shoulders had just been lifted by her.

“I promise, E,” Mal nodded and without thinking she grabbed Evie’s free hand. “Please, don’t leave me,”

Evie smiled.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Evie reassured her, squeezing her hand. “But you have to understand my side,”

“I do,” Mal nodded. “I know I hurt you and you have every right to be upset. I never meant to hurt you. I never want to do anything to mess this up but—“

“But we’re not perfect and shit happens,” Evie interrupted her. “It’s over now,”

“So…” Mal looked up at her. “Are we good? Do you… Do you forgive me?” She asked quietly.

Evie nodded and gave her a smile, a smile Mal knew so well. “Yeah, we are. But no more lying,”

“No more lying. **I promise**,” Mal nodded. She was dead serious. “**I’ll do better**. So I can be a better version of myself. I owe it to myself, to you and to the ones I care about,”

And Evie believed her.

“Come here,” Evie pulled Mal for a hug and Mal buried her face on Evie’s chest. She could cry all over again, upon hearing Evie’s steady heartbeat. Evie really was way kinder than everyone else. To Mal, she was just better than everyone else.

“_I do forgive you_,” Evie then finally said and it was honest and gentle.

Mal tightened her hold on Evie.

“Thank you for not giving up on me,” Mal mumbled, a little muffled because she refused to let go of Evie.

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Evie assured her and nuzzled into Mal’s hair. “We all make mistakes. Don’t ever let that be the reason to give up on somebody or to forget all the good they’ve done,”

Mal seemed to be processing those words before nodding quietly.

“I love you, my princess,” Mal said in the most vulnerable whisper, closing her eyes.

Evie smiled really big.

“I love you, my beautiful dragon.”

And with that, Mal had already grown into a better version of herself. And Evie had grown with her, her own words echoing in her head.

_‘We all make mistakes. Don’t ever let that be the reason to give up on somebody or to forget all the good they’ve done’_

Mal felt the weight lift from her chest entirely. She could finally breathe again. She was only left with the promise she had made Evie, and to herself. To keep on growing and learning. To keep on getting stronger, next to the love of her life.

And because no one was immune to making mistakes, Evie knew she had to continue to be better too. To keep on learning too. To keep on getting stronger, next to her dream girl.

** _‘I promise, I’ll be better.’_ **

** **

They both thought as they held each other protectively, losing themselves in each other’s embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> So, if you didn't read the tags, I decided to re-write that "you lied to ME" scene + the scene in Audrey's room, so I could give Malvie a scene where they'd actually talk about what happened, because I felt that it's missing in the movie. This is the result, written over the course of 2 days. I hope it does them justice and I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> :) x


End file.
